Health

According to Senator Rand Paul, R-Ky, people lose IQ points and motivation to work if they smoke marijuana.

In an interview with the Hoover Institution Monday, the senator explained that he does not support legalization of the controversial drug, but that it does make sense to decriminalize it to a degree.

“What I think is that if your kid or one of his friends goes out and gets caught with marijuana, sticking them in prison is a big mistake,” he said. “So I don’t really believe in prison sentences for these minor nonviolent drug offenses, but I’m not willing to go all the way to say it is a good idea either. I think people who use marijuana all the time lose IQ points, I think they lose their drive to show up for work.”

Paul also said he believes that marijuana legalization should be a state issue rather than national. As can be seen by state-by-state voting preferences, marijuana legalization is an issue that varies drastically nationwide. The Northeast and Western states — California, Oregon, Nevada, Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Maine — are the most pot-friendly compared to the anti-pot Midwest and Southern states.

Paul, an ally of libertarians, believes most controversial issues should be state issues, such as abortion and same-sex marriage.